Happy 30th Birthday lil sis...

 

Back in NZ again, in time to celebrate my lil sis's 30th birthday. She's the other artist in the family who joins me in continuing as creatives, which I know stems from our great and great-great grandmother's artisan skills.

Those artistic skills were then passed on to her son, our maternal grandfather, who made jewellery, then to my creative mum, who had a plethora of skills, including cooking, and then to us, the present generation, with my children developing in the area too.

This is my lil sis's fave cake from the Cheesecake shop, which is the Unicorn cake with its many colours of 7 layers, including: blue, green, red, pink, purple, orange and yellow.

We absolutely love the light texture of the cake, and the cream is over the top, and we can't help but enjoy bright colours as Samoans, as you only have to visit Samoa to know why.

This week, we are also preparing to celebrate the 21st birthday of my middle child, and it's been a joy to plan with several factors coming into play, but more in another blog. However, we are big in celebrating important milestones in our family with more to come...

Reflections on Samoa on last day...

 

Today is our last full day and night in Samoa before returning back to NZ with our family (kinda) missing us.

We have had such a productive and fun holiday in Samoa in meeting with our relatives and getting back on the fanua of my dad's (parents') and ancestors' legacy.

Going to Manono and finding out about our connecting historical story to Manono was mind-blowing and something I'm going to reflect on and write about later.

It was also sobering to visit what is known as 'R.L. Stevenson's Pool' which I think was 'Loimata Apa'ula'. Another mystery that I'm trying to find out whether both are one in the same that I wrote about earlier but when fact checking, a map shows different and when asking a local walker she expressed that there is only one waterfall as pictured.

If this is true, then it again confirms my earlier commiserations that 'Loimata Apa'ula' waterfall fell victim to possibly safety and tourism considerations for the modification of the fanua or land for those reasons. The pool, as you see it in the pool, is only a wading pool up to the knees and the waterfall was dammed.

I'm looking forward to possibly returning for a family reunion in November that my aunty who is based at the Return to Paradise resort and spa has announced for us diaspora Samoans to look forward to. At that time, I'm hoping to plan a visit to Apolima Island where my great grandmother Faletui lived for a time with her husband and where her grandchild, my father was born.

Yet more explorations and stories to continue in the next saga of visiting Samoa at the end of the year. Roll on 2026... Ia manuia ma ia soifua (may all go well and good bye)...

Amazing tour to the island of Manono...

  

Today, I had a great time with my youngest and was able to charter a boat to go on an amazing tour to the island of Manono. It was a whirlwind tour as it takes about 30 minutes for the boat to travel to the island and another 30 minutes to travel back.

On this particular morning, it was 8.30am in the morning with lovely weather. We were able to travel to the island and through our tour guide we visited the first spot of where the Methodist church started with a monument.

Interestingly enough, the minister who started the ministry was Rev. Turner who wrote books about Old Samoa that I had referred to in my thesis. This was especially surprising and neat to reflect on in seeing where he had started his mission and to be able to view where he had been those many years ago.

A second tour stop was at the place of 'Tamafaiga's monument' which is a tala or story that I had been aware of in my readings but in being able to connect the story to where I currently live in Fasito'o-uta Samoa. In fact, it was my parents who were able to take me to show me the connection and which I was able to confirm from a matai (chief) whom I spoke with today. Totally amazing!

Needless to say that this has been one of my favourite trips to Samoa but missing my mum as she decided to remain behind in New Zealand as she had been ill in Fiji late last year when we took her over for my birthday celebrations. However, it's been great that our technology has kept us in contact through Messenger video call. Simply wonderful...

Sweet treats in Samoa...

 

It's rainy season in Samoa at the moment, and after tidying up some things at home, we went for a drive into town and had a late lunch at the local 'Burger Bill's'.

We then drove in the opposite direction, past the international airport (just 15 minutes from where we live), to Mulifanua wharf, only a 20-minute drive away.

On the same road and way to the wharf, we discovered a new dessert treat shop called 'Delicious Cakes', and we went in to have a look.

It's a shop with lots of dessert pies, cookies, cupcakes, doughnuts, sandwiches, cakes and much, much more. My favourite is the Afghan cookies, which are melt-in-your-mouth delicious. The sandwiches were fine, but their large custard pies were not really to my taste and my mum was the best bakery growing up and the treats she made were second to none.

I would definitely recommend them if you're looking for occasion treats, like birthdays or anniversaries. We had fun trying the various treats. Another place was in Apia town, at a new stop called 'Ten Below', a 24-hour eatery. Their treats are second to none, with a slice of brownies, caramel slices, and cake slices all for $10. It reminds me of sweet treats from NZ espcially for those who might be a little bit homesick...

Site seeing in Samoa...

 

Today, we're sightseeing in Samoa on a Sunday. This time, we decided to drive out to Mulinu'u, near the capital, Apia, where the round Parliament building stands and the new courthouse.

It was great to take a leisurely Sunday drive; usually it is busy and bustling, but today there were a few out and about, enjoying the sunny weather and taking a swim.

We had lunch at the Chinese fast-food restaurant chain DMC in Vailoa, which says it stands for Dad, Mum and Children (really?). It definitely wasn't to my taste, as I'm sure they add jam to the Sundae.

However, we did manage to track down "10 Below", which is the first (that I'm aware of) 24-hour Foodstop for fast foods and desserts in Apia, down the road from the Clock Tower roundabout.

I was so surprised to see it and highly recommend checking it out as we picked up some desserts for $10 each, including Brownies, Caramel slice, Chocolate cake slices and Carrot cake slices.

The only thing I would say is that it is dark inside, and I'd recommend adding a little more lighting. It is modern, but the dark interior isn't as welcoming in contrast to the bright sun outside. However, if you're up for big snacks and delicious desserts - this is the place to see!

Enjoying some of the sites of Samoa...

 

A couple of days ago, I managed to take my brother from Brisbane, Australia, his wife and my youngest on a round-trip around the island. 

I did, however, take a shortcut; it would have been longer, since we live on the southern part of the island and were visiting my mother-in-law and my beloved's family in the village of Siumu.

This is a photo of the Papapaitai Falls in Tiāvi, where I remember my father taking a photo of my family in 1972, when I first saw the falls.

It's so neat to take my youngest to see these falls, the same ones I saw as a child. The round trip took us a couple of hours as we visited another cousin who is also building in Samoa, and it's neat to see some diaspora Samoans returning to the motherland.

We also did some renovating on our family house, and it was good to complete that job, as there was quite a bit of wear and tear we needed to accommodate.

It's been so good to catch up with my older bro and his family. As his children are much older than me, they are grandparents of 13, whereas I'm patiently (not so patiently) waiting for mine, i.e., the next generation of diaspora Samoans...

Happy New Year 2026 from Samoa!...

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR for 2026! I've been in Samoa since New Year's Day, and it has been such a blessing to be back in the motherland of my parents and ancestors.

As you can see from the pic, the tall plants are called u'a or paper mulberry trees. The bark is used to make siapo, or tapa cloth. I planted these trees two years ago because I couldn't source any in our local village.

This is one of my future projects: to learn how to make siapo, as I learned the art of weaving from my mother and from a couple of village women. 

This is a tribute to my namesake, an artisan of siapo whose craft was lost in a generation when it could no longer be passed on; I have made it my mission to continue it.

Now, to harvest some pandanus that my parents grew for use on our communal land, and to keep weaving as I was taught this beautiful skill. This is another project I've recently started, to see how it can be dried and then be ready to take back to NZ with us.

It's truly been a blessing to be back on our fanua (land), to begin some renovations, with the help of my second cousin and his friends and family, to complete some projects, and to await the arrival of my brother and his wife from Australia, so we can continue our father's legacy in our ancestral village that he wanted to pass on to us. 

To see the azure blues of the neighbouring ocean and the lush greenery and colourful flora on our fanua is such a blessing, to say the least. It's been so good to smell the ocean scent, to feel the warm, gentle breeze, it is 'home sweet home'.

Thank you, God, for this wonder-filled opportunity, may we never take it for granted...